Fences are commonly used to confine livestock, such as farm animals, steers, and thoroughbred race horses. Fences may vary greatly in both structure and materials used in their construction. Fence structures which were traditionally available include those made of wire, (barbed wire, chain link, etc.), and wood (picket, split rail, etc.).
The materials used to construct a particular fence are often selected on the basis of initial costs, upkeep cost, durability, strength, aesthetic characteristics and animal safety requirements. The most commonly used materials include metal and/or wood. While concrete and stone are readily available, the cost is often prohibitive.
The most commonly used fencing material for livestock has been barbed wire. This is due to the low cost of installation and maintenance that such material presents. However, barbed wire can cause painful and unsightly injury to valuable livestock. Also, such material is difficult for the animal to detect and, all too often, the animal is injured during contact with this unseen barrier. Other materials, such as web wire fencing and cyclone wire fencing suffer from similar limitations. In addition, they tend to be expensive to install and maintain and, over time, can also operate to injure livestock.
Wood fences, on the other hand, while expensive to install and maintain, generally do not operate to injure livestock. Wood fences also offer a more pleasing aesthetic appearance.
In order to solve the difficulties presented by commonly available wire and wood fences, a fencing system using high tensile wire jacketed by polymer or vinyl coating has been developed. This type of fencing is typified by that illustrated in FIG. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,942, as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,465,263; 4,860,996 and 6,834,846. The text and figures of these patents are incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.
Another method and apparatus for forming a fence line system comprised of a plurality of fence post members that are disposed in an array so as to enclose or divide a given area of land is typified by that illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,429. Alternative connectors that can be used to terminate or splice polymer jacketed high tensile wire fencing are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,566,047.
While the systems of polymer jacketed high tensile wire fencing presents a satisfactory solution to some of the above-mentioned problems, there is still a need for an improved coupling arrangement for use in a termination and/or splice system which is relatively inexpensive, durable, strong, safe for physical contact with livestock, and ultimately easy to install. Desirably such an improved coupling arrangement would also provide for a simple disassembly by way of a quick release.